May 8, 2023

Learn How to Keep Your Waterers Ice Free This Winter

The Farmers’ Almanac is predicting “the winter of the great divide” for the 2020-21 season – cold and snowy in the north with drought in the west. Time will tell if this prediction is accurate but one thing you can … Read More

April 24, 2023

Frozen No More: Five Steps to Prep Your Waterer for Winter

Healthy horses spend 70 percent of their day eating forage and drinking water. During the winter, horses have a natural tendency to drink less water in colder temperatures so you need to be diligent with providing fresh, clean water at … Read More

April 10, 2023

Keep the Fresh Water Flowing This Winter

Water is the Most Important Nutrient We Provide Cattle “Although water is the cheapest nutrient we may purchase or provide, it is the one we provide the most of on a per pound basis,” said Ted Wiseman, extension educator for … Read More

March 29, 2023

SBA Selects Ritchie Industries, Inc. as the 2023 Iowa SBA Small Business Exporter of the Year

Company Also Honored as SBA’s Region 7 Exporter of the Year (DES MOINES, Iowa) – The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced the selection of Ritchie Industries, Inc. in Conrad as the 2023 SBA Small Business Exporter of the Year … Read More

Three Tips to Get Your Horse to Drink More Water During Winter

1. Turn Up the Heat During the winter, horses have a natural tendency to drink less water in colder temperatures, so you need to be diligent with providing fresh, clean water at the right temperature. Researchers at the University of … Read More

March 22, 2023

Keeping Dehydration at Bay

What is the best way to tell if a horse is getting the proper amount of water?  In general, there are two simple tests you can do to assess how well your horse is hydrated – the skin pinch and … Read More

March 15, 2023

Your Horse and Water Quality

The biggest measure of water quality is total dissolved solids (TDS). TDS is comprised of inorganic salts (principally calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, bicarbonates, chlorides, and sulfates) and some small amounts of organic matter. Elevated TDS can make your water have … Read More

March 10, 2023

Three Rules to Keep Horses Hydrated & Healthy

Water is essential to the well-being of your horse. Take the time to plan an effective watering system that offers your horse free-choice access to clean, fresh water at all times and be rewarded with a healthy and happy horse. … Read More

February 27, 2023

Time to Assess Your Horse’s Water Source

Best management practices involve delivering fresh water to your horse. The days of horses accessing streams and ponds are dwindling for many reasons, including water quality concerns and environmental impact. “We can use the natural water sources such as streams … Read More

February 20, 2023

Underlying Health Issues Can Impact Your Horse’s Water Consumption

Underlying health issues can impact your horse’s water consumption, with the most common issue being diarrhea. Monitoring manure will give you a head’s up on how much water is being lost. On the flip side, horses who have drier or … Read More